Bringing a new person into your home and trusting them with your children is a big decision that requires some time to adjust to for everyone in the family. If you’ve already decided on the very best candidate for the job, the task of making a nanny introduction to your kids still lies ahead of you. Children thrive on consistency and routine, which means that change can be hard on little ones who are very attached to mommy and daddy.
To make this process go smoothly, here are some nanny tips for introducing a new nanny to your kids.
Talk to Your Child Before the Nanny Introduction
As soon as you’ve made a decision about a new nanny, have an open and honest conversation with your children about why you are hiring a nanny and why it will be for them to have a nanny around the house. Building strong bonds of communication will go a long way with this situation and many others throughout your child’s life.
Invite the New Nanny Over for Dinner
Having a new nanny over for dinner can help ease the transition with baby steps of integrating this new person into daily routines. This is a good way for all of you to spend time together and get to know each other in a relaxed environment. You can also host a game of questions and answers to get a better sense of how your new nanny and children communicate and spark interesting conversation between them.
Schedule a “Nanny Practice” Day
It’s also a good idea to schedule a practice day with your new nanny so that you can go through what a typical day is like together as a family. Go about your day as you normally would without a nanny around, but include the new nanny in every aspect of meals, nap times, and activities while also addressing important rules and discipline. This is a dual-training measure to ensure that both your nanny and your children know what to expect when you’re not around.
Plan a Fun Activity with the New Nanny
Having a new caregiver around is much more fun when there’s an exciting activity to engage in together. Once you have spent some time together with the nanny and your children, arrange a fun activity or outing for them without you being present. This could be a highly anticipated movie with popcorn, a trip to a museum, or a fun craft project at home. This will help reinforce the fact that spending time with the new nanny is fun and something that should be looked forward to. It’s also a great way to reduce separation anxiety in a slow and controlled way.
Engage with Favorite Toys and Stuffed Animals
To make change a little easier to embrace, keep as much consistency in your children’s routines as possible when you transition to having a new nanny. For example, encourage your children to keep their favorite toys and stuffed animals around during time spent with the nanny as a reminder that change doesn’t have to be scary or unfamiliar.
How to Find a Nanny Perfect for Your Kids
If you’re still searching for how to find a nanny, then look no further than Household Staffing International. As experts in this field since 1974, we have many other pieces of nanny introduction advice and nanny tips to offer you as well! To get started, feel free to browse our list of applicants or give us a call at 212-683-7722 to learn more about how we screen nannies and connect them to families just like yours.